L1¡¯s Influence On Second Language Acquisition (SLA)

L1¡¯s Influence On Second Language Acquisition (SLA)
Mary (Ma Chunmei) 20155005

Summary
A lot of errors occur when a learner is learning or acquiring a second language. A large percentage of errors are directly related to the learner¡¯s mother tongue. Linguists call this phenomenon ¡°L1 transfer¡±. This paper aims at explaining L1 transfer theoretically and empirically by analyzing the errors Chinese students make while learning English so as to illustrate how L1¡¯s influences L2.

Background
L1 transfer refers to the influence that the learner¡¯s L1 exerts over the acquisition of an L2. Learner¡¯s L1 can either be one of the sources of error in learner language or facilitates L2 acquisition. L1 transfer can result in avoidance. That is, the learner avoids the use of some grammatical features because his mother tongue does not contain equivalent structures. L1 transfer can also result in overuse of some expressions of L2, in accordance with his mother ...